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Mary Wells is an award-winning independent female Director/ Writer and Producer based in Jamaica. She became the first woman from Jamaica to do a feature narrative, which happened to be her debut film, Kingston Paradise (2013). She has over 20 years of experience in television and film production across different regions of the world. She has a general liberal arts degree from George Washington University in Washington DC and has additional education in television production. Her films revolve around complexities of cultural identity, particularly within the African diaspora. She also delves into themes of social justice and community resilience as she shows inequality, discrimination, and the fight for rights and recognition.
Early life
editMary Wells was born a creative individual. As a child through high school, she committed to being in the arts. Her parents would be encouraging of her pursuit of the arts as her mom, Dorothy Henriques-Wells, is a well-known Jamaican painter and art teacher. After high school, she moved to the U.S. and studied theatre art for a year at the Miami Dade Community College and then general Liberal arts at the George Washington University in Washington DC. It is there that she also got into photography. She spent six months in French West Africa, (Senegal) where she solidified film as her career path. After her degree and travels she spent an additional 2 years studying Television production.
Career
editShe worked for the next 20 years in TV/Film production both in the USA and then returned to Jamaica. She has worked in Cable TV, Government Broadcasting, a private production company, and freelance on small film projects with UNESCO in Jamaica and Southern Africa. She also worked in Barbados with the CBU and got to work on a few Hollywood films that came to Jamaica.[1]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Film type |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Now Jimmy! | Documentary |
| 2013 | Kingston Paradise | Narritive |
| 2017 | Ms. Sugga | Animated mini-series |
| Moya's Love | Narritive |
Now Jimmy!! is a short documentary that focuses on the life of Mary Wells' neighbor Jimmy. The film provides a look into Jimmy's daily struggles dealing with living in poverty in a low-income urban environment. This documentary addresses the societal issues of the large percentage of people in Jamaica and Latin America who can't ever hope to own land because of poverty. Her goal was to give a voice to land owners to give them a platform to discuss their struggles.
Kingston Paradise is Mary Wells' feature film which delves into the gritty realities of urban life in Kingston, Jamaica. The film explores themes of poverty, crime, and the pursuit of dreams amidst challenging circumstances.
Plot summary
editKingston Paradise follows the story of Rocksy, a small-time hustler who dreams of escaping his impoverished life. He devises a plan to steal a luxury car in hopes of selling it to fund a better future. Rocksy's girlfriend, Rosie, is a sex worker who harbors her own dreams of a peaceful and better life. The couple's lives are intertwined with the harsh realities of their environment, filled with desperation and limited opportunities.
The film portrays their struggle for survival and the impact of their decisions. As Rocksy’s plan unfolds, the consequences of his actions lead to unforeseen complications, shedding light on the broader social issues affecting their community.
Ms.Sugga is an animated mini-series created by Mary Wells and Dr. Patricia Northover. The series is a creative educational tool aimed primarily at children aged 7-12, blending animation with live-action, historical, and archival footage to explore Jamaica’s sugar cane history.[2]
Mary Wells is working a a new project called Moyas Love which she hopes to be her next feature film. It would follow a "rookie female politician, a British Caribbean returnee, struggles to save an invaluable marine reserve while falling-in-love with the best friend of a desperate mayor, who embraces plans for the area’s destruction into a mega sea port."[3] The film is currently development with no set release date.
Awards and honors
editMary Wells' short Now Jimmy! was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. It later was rewarded "Outstanding Documentary from the Caribbean" from the Sheryl Lee Ralph Film & Music Festival in 2002.[4]
Her feature and debut film Kingston Paradise won the Audience Award for "Best Narrative Feature" from the Caribbeantales International Film Festival in 2013. It later was awarded "Best Diaspora Feature" from the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in 2014. Lastly, it received the Programmers Award for "Best Narrative Feature" from the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles in the same year.[5]
References
edit- ^ Murphy, Xavier (2009-08-25). "This month we interview Mary Wells an independent director, writer and producer based in Jamaica. She has worked for Government Broadcasting, US cable TV, a private production company and has some twenty years experience in television and film production. She received the Jamerican Film & Music Festival "Outstanding Documentary from the Caribbean" for her short film "Now Jimmy!" that follows the story of a Jamaican squatter living on prime real estate. She recently completed her first full feature film "Kingston Paradise"". Jamaicans and Jamaica - Jamaicans.com. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
- ^ Smith, Rodney V. (2018-12-17). "Three Female Caribbean Filmmakers to Watch". CaribbeanTales Blog - News Views and Reviews. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
- ^ CCI2021 - Moyas Love - 2021 Creators of Colour incubator Pi. Retrieved 2024-05-21 – via caribbeantales-tv.com.
- ^ "Mary Wells". CineFAM. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
- ^ "Kingston Paradise Film – Follow Your Dreams". Retrieved 2024-05-21.